Dominant Ħamrun Spartans hit Xagħra for six

XAGĦRA UNITED   0

ĦAMRUN SPARTANS       6

Sasere 17, 37

Adeshina 34, 85

Cittadini 53, 79

XAGĦRA UNITED

O. Attard (86 V. Agius), J. Bajada, S. Galea, N. Buciljevic, A. Sultana, K. Hili (71 F. Cauchi), J.C. Moreiro Ribeiro, F. Rodrigjues De Souza Santos, L. Sultana (86 J. Formosa), E. Xiberras (79 J.K. Farrugia), F. Attard.

ĦAMRUN SPARTANS

P. Sanchez, M. Laraspata, C. Borg, D. Johnson, F. Sasere (46 M. Guillaumier), X. Portelli, I. Abdullahi Adeshina, B.A. Cittadini, K. Micallef (60 J. Soares Ailton), C.. Dielna (46 M. Tabone), D. Borg.

Referee: Andrea Sciriha.

Ħamrun Spartans broke little sweat to book their place into the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy as they hammered Xagħra United at the Gozo Stadium.

This was the second consecutive match for Hamrun at the Gozo Stadium in this competition, after ousting Sannat Lions in the previous round.

Coach Buttigieg reconfirmed only two players from the team that beat Gżira United on Saturday, namely defender Claude Dielna and striker Franklin Sasere, while Matthew Guillaumier, Jorge Soares Aliton and Juan Carlos Corbolan were among the substitutes.

All the other top players were missing either as a precaution before the important match that Ħamrun will play on Saturday against Hibernians or due to the impact of COVID-19.

Hamrun as expected dominated the encounter against the Gozitan side who are currently occupying the bottom place on the table without a point at the end of the first round. 

The visitors maintained their supremacy without any particular urgency and obtained the win with three goals scored in each half through a brace each by Sasere, Adeshina and Cittadini.

The Spartans opened the score on 17 minutes through a tap-in by Sasere after receiving from Ige Adeshina.

The Reds made it 2-0 on 34 minutes when Adeshina headed home following a Sasere cross.

The same Nigerian striker added another goal on 37 minutes when he fired in from close distance after receiving from Blas Cittadini. 

Xagħra’s only attempt at goal in the first half came midway through when a long-range shot from Felipe Rodrigues De Souza Santos ended wide.

Hamrun continued to dictate matters after the break and scored their fourth goal on 53 minutes. when Cittadini took the ball within Xaghra’s territory, turned around the goalkeeper outside the area and placed easily into an open goal. 

The Xagħra defence remained under pressure and had to be at their best to keep out efforts from Cittadini and Conor Borg.

Ħamrun increased their lead on 79 minutes when a cross by Ailton Soares was not cleared by the defence and Cittadini was on hand to poke home.

Buttigieg’s men grabbed a sixth goal five minutes from time when Matthew Guillaumier stormed inside the area and his dipping cross was dealt with by the Xagħra goalkeeper and in came Adeshina to push the ball into the net.